Tasca nets provisional pole with perfect run at Thunder Valley

BRISTOL, Tenn. — Bob Tasca III knew he was in the midst of a special run under the lights at Thunder Valley on Friday night.

As Tasca motored down the dragway in his Funny Car, the flames shooting out of his nitro engine laid back so far that the amber glow surrounding the cockpit of his Ford gave way to darkness.

“That’s how you know you’re really hauling,” Tasca said.

By the time he pulled the chutes, Tasca had put a 4.107 up on the board during the second and final qualifying session of the night.

Shockingly, the time stood up as one dragster after another fell short of Tasca’s mark, giving the Rhode Island native the provisional pole heading into today’s final two qualifying sessions at the Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals.

Read the full story in Saturday's print or enhanced electronic version of the Times-News.